Rosario Bordino

Industrial Operations Executive | COO / Operations Director | Strategy → Execution | Operational Excellence | Manufacturing | Business Transformation

I lead industrial operations at the intersection of performance, technology and transformation. Today, I oversee operations across 3 Italian manufacturing sites, 100+ production lines and 70+ people, with 10 Managers/Directors reporting to me — spanning Technical & R&D, Quality, Production Engineering, Process Development, Operational Excellence and electroplating. I work alongside the CEO and CFO on major business and capital decisions: investment priorities, supplier strategy and technology choices. Across my career, I have been responsible for ~€20M in Capex/Opex, supporting capacity expansion, technology investment and operational transformation. My career started in Aerospace Engineering, then evolved through engineering and manufacturing into operational leadership — shaping one of my strongest convictions: Industrial transformation rarely fails from lack of technology — it fails when technology, economics, processes and people aren't connected by a clear operating system. My role isn't simply to improve performance — it's building the people, systems and discipline that let an organisation perform, improve and scale without depending on any single leader. Some results from that journey: • ~20% production-capacity improvement through Lean Tools and operational excellence initiatives • ~30% COGS reduction on a global product line • Delivered revenue growth beyond the original target • Turned around a major customer quality crisis, restoring trust and growing the account • Built the business case for a ~€750K capacity investment supporting a ~€3M growth opportunity, with ~1-year payback • Walked away from a deal that would have compromised ownership of critical technical IP • Led green-transformation and digital programmes spanning energy, water and 30,000 product codes My operating model is simple: STRATEGY → TECHNOLOGY → ECONOMICS → OPERATIONS → PEOPLE Technology should serve strategy. Capital investment should follow analysis, not precede it — and improvement should outlast the leader who started it. This is why I'm increasingly focused on industrial operations, digitalisation and AI. AI doesn't start with AI. It starts with the quality of the industrial system underneath it. Through Lead the Future Now, I'm building a community for people shaping industry and leadership. My leadership philosophy comes down to three principles: BUILD PEOPLE. BUILD THE SYSTEM. BUILD BEYOND THE LEADER. I'm particularly interested in COO, Operations Director and VP Operations mandates where performance, technology and transformation converge.